The Community Acupuncture Business Model

Community acupuncture means providing acupuncture treatments in a group setting at a low cost. Acupuncture works better when treatments are provided frequently enough to make a real change. The group setting allows us to charge a lower rate, and makes it affordable for most people to get the number of treatments they need to feel better.

Since the 1970’s, acupuncture in the U.S. has been mostly practiced one on one. The patient is probably lying on a massage table in a room by themselves. This way of giving and receiving acupuncture makes it costly. Patients may pay $65 – $125 per session.

In the early 2000’s, an acupuncturist in Portland, Oregon begin treating people (neighbors and friends) at the same time in her living room while they sat in chairs. If acupuncture usually costs $100 per treatment, why not charge $25 each and have 4 treatments going at once, all in the same room? This morphed into her and her partner renting a space and opening a clinic specifically to practice acupuncture in a group setting.

Acupuncturists around the country began hearing about this way of running an acupuncture clinic and started copying the model. Now there are around 200 community acupuncture clinics in the U.S., and some in other countries too.

At Acupuncture Together, we have nine comfortable recliners in our group treatment room. There will be up to eight other people quietly receiving their treatment in the room with you. While the acupuncture needles are in place, there is nothing to do but breathe and relax. A group treatment room is supportive of this. Although there are others in the room, it is very quiet. Patients do not talk to each other. People’s eyes are closed. Everyone is in their own peaceful, relaxed world. Often, people fall asleep.

Patients remain clothed while they relax in comfortable recliners. Treating patients this way has many benefits beyond being affordable. The group treatment room creates a collective healing energy that enhances the power of each individual’s treatment. Many people find it comforting to have others around them rather than being isolated in a private room. And, it allows families and friends to get treatments together.

We are part of a growing movement of community acupuncture clinics around the country that are practicing this business model.

If you would like to find a community acupuncture clinic in another city for your family or friends, search for “your city community acupuncture” in a web browser. Any clinics in that area should come up in the search results.